Strangely Unpredictable
by HasekuraSisters
Summary: Revised. Sibling rivalry, a self centered cousin, bad hair days, a discouraging sensei, pointless missions, secret crushes, and Naruto following you around...Also w sneak peek of next story. Includes 2 OCs, real characters can get a little OOC.
1. Chapter 1: Sibling Rivalry

_Disclaimer:_ We don't own Naruto...or Sasuke...or Gaara...No part of it.

_Authors' Notes:_ We will admit, these stories are pretty crazy (partly because they're written spontaneously). Characters are thrown in randomly, and can be OOC, mostly for humor. (Except for our own original characters, who are just...original.) We revised it a bit after seeing some inconsistencies in Akemi and Jiyou's characters. Dare to read on!

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"Well, if you're sure you don't want to..."

"Jiyou, how can I just walk up and start talking to him? He'd shoot me down anyway! I told you before, I don't want to be a stalker!"

Seeing Sasuke walk by, Akemi and her younger sister had stopped their shuriken practice to argue if they should go after him.

"Ok...Then I'll talk to him." Jiyou resolutely began to approach the intriguing Genin.

"Jiyou! That's not fair! You just...can't!"

"But if you're too insecure..."

"I'm not insecure! I'm just...not ready to talk to him!" (Jiyou rolled her eyes.) "And _you_ have to stop going after every guy you see!"

"I do _not_ go after 'every guy'! I happen to like a wide range of guys, that's all. So I'm not obsessed!" _Man! Everytime I like someone new she thinks I'm obsessing! Hmph. Obsessive. I think I just have a very unique taste in guys that is constantly under construction._

She started to walk away again until she heard Akemi yell, "I never said that! But now that you mention it...Yes, you are! You're just in denial!"

Jiyou's fists clenched at her sides and she slowly turned around. There was a tense silence as their glares shot kunai knives at each other...and then Jiyou snapped. Before she remembered to count to ten and calm down, Jiyou let her anger get the best of her and she hit her sister with a Temporary Body Paralysis Jutsu.

Soon after, though, she felt a twinge of guilt. _Damn! I did it again! Should I leave her like this? Oh well, she'll be alright...Oh, yeah, Sasuke!_

Smoothing her hair idly, she took advantage of the well-executed jutsu and caught up to her crush. "Hey Sasuke!"

He stopped, returning her enthusiasm with a cold look.

"I haven't seen you around lately. Were you out training?" _Good, good. Guys like it when you talk about them. Flattery never hurts._

Sasuke was about to give a disinterested reply when his eyes moved from Jiyou's face to over her shoulder. Wondering what he was looking at she turned and gasped. Akemi had somehow become unfrozen and had pulled her hand back, ready to strike her sister. Jiyou's eyes widened. She tried to prepare herself for the attack...and was taken even more off-guard when _Naruto_ stepped in front of her.

"Hi Jiyouuuuuu…!"

Jiyou just watched as the loud ninja took the blow from Akemi and flew back into a nearby grove of pines. _Where did _he_ come from?_ She shouldn't have let herself get caught in another one of her trances, because the next thing she knew, she was flying into the trees where she soon joined Naruto, landing on him with a thud.

"UGH! What is _her_ problem! _I_ only froze her! Why'd she throw me into the – Oh…sorry…Thanks for breaking my fall."

"Anytime…" Naruto said. Jiyou smiled nervously and eyed him suspiciously, wondering what the look he gave her meant. Pulling a couple of branches aside, Jiyou took in the scene: Sasuke had wisely used the short case of sibling rivalry as an opportunity to walk away, leaving Akemi standing there, rubbing her hand and looking a bit stunned herself.

_Hehe, time for a little payback! _Jiyou laughed menacingly and swiftly moved undetected back towards her sister.

Akemi walked cautiously over to the area where she had seen her younger sister land. _Jiyou's probably really angry now...But she deserved it, thinking she can just steal any guy she wants..._

She was almost to the trees when she screamed in surprise and found herself stuck up to her neck in dirt; a victim of the Inner Decapitation Jutsu. Akemi yelled furiously when her sister rose from the ground, laughing cruelly.

"Hahaha! You should've seen _that _coming! Throwing me like a – HEY! What the-"

Now it was Akemi's turn to laugh as her sister sank down beside her.

"WHO..? Who did this! Show yourself!" Naruto grinned as the two girls struggled to get free.

"Naruto you jerk! GET US OUT NOW!" Jiyou panicked, definitely not wanting to become his prisoner.

" I will, I will! But first," he sat down between the two girls, "do either of you like ramen?"

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A good 20 minutes or so passed and the sisters remained captive.

"Naruto, we're serious! Get us out now and we won't hurt you…_we promise_," Akemi said giving her sister a warning glare. Jiyou had given up her whining…and yelling…and screaming for help, seeing as nothing had worked so far. She, too, was about to resort to bribing Naruto when a movement distracted her.

A group consisting of one girl and two guys walked by, not too far from Jiyou. The one boy her age caught her eye especially. She was sure she had never seen him before; if she had, she would have _definitely_ remembered. His outfit was all black except for the white sash that draped around his body. Jiyou watched him pass, transfixed by his mysterious features, and felt herself blush with embarassment as he looked towards her with eyes ringed in black.

Akemi looked over, knowing her sister's silence meant a complex chain of thought was going through her head. _Or not so complex. Jiyou probably just thinks that guy's hot and will be obsessed with finding out who he is for the next few days, or weeks…At least it should keep her away from Sasuke...That's one girl out of the 'competition'..._

Akemi's thoughts weren't too far from the truth. Just seconds after the unknown redhead left, Jiyou voiced her own thoughts, "Who was _THAT!_ "

The older girl attempted to shrug, but realized she was still packed into the ground tightly. The limited movement of her body caused her to become agitated once again. Jiyou, too, had rediscovered her anger but showed it in a louder, more frustrated fashion.

"QUICK! _GET ME OUT NOW!_ I've got to…AARGHHH!" Her yells drifted into the afternoon air…along with Naruto's shouts of pain as he received a couple Taijutsus when the two were finally free …

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	2. Chapter 2: The Chase

_Discalimer:_ We still don't own Naruto!

_Authors' Notes:_ Just the next installment...

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_Ugh._ It was 6 a.m. and time for another grueling day of training. Akemi, still sore from yesterday, looked at her clock and sighed. With some effort she dragged herself out of bed and went into the kitchen to make tea. No one in the house was up yet. As the water boiled, Akemi debated whether or not to wake her her sister yet, knowing if she did it would mean another fight for the bathroom...And there was that little rule about no Jutsu in the house. Yet if she didn't, she would have to face her sister's wrath for not getting her up on time and making her late. So, tea in hand, the girl went to her sister's bedroom door and yelled, "Hey, Jiyou, wake up! Time for training! I know how much you love it!"

No movement. Akemi, becoming aggravated, yelled louder, "JIYOU! UP! NOW!" Finally a reply...

_Groan..._ "No Akemi! Not yet..."

Akemi turned and simply said, "Fine, then I get the bathroom first! I guess you don't care about looking nice...or being on time!" With that she walked away, finished her tea, and went to put on her uniform.

Inside her room Jiyou was cursing under her breath. _Why do we have to train so early? And why can't there be a Jutsu for making beds! And why WHY do I have to look nice for my dumb team? It's only Akemi and Maro. _

She walked out of the room, still angry about being woken up, and only got more upset when Akemi teased, "Yikes, Jiyou! You can't go anywhere looking like _that_! What if Gaara saw you?" She made it a point to mention her sister's newfound crush.

"Well you don't look so great when you get woken up by a _bossy sister_ early in the morning, either! And what about Gaara! He probably doesn't care what I look like!" _That is, if he notices me at all..._ Jiyou added as an afterthought.

Akemi, who had realized that Jiyou unconsciously insulted herself when she mentioned "a bossy sister," was snickering at her...Until she noticed her sister's strange expression. _Uh oh!_

Jiyou snapped, believing Akemi's smile was more mockery. "That's IT! Just wait until I show Sasuke a picture of _you_ in the morning!"

"You wouldn't!"

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah...because I have this!" Akemi whipped out a picture of Jiyou standing in front of the mirror, pajamas wrinkled, hair in disarray, and mouth wide open in a big yawn.

"AAARGHHH!" The younger girl screamed and charged madly at her sister.

Just another morning in the Hasekura house...

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The two girls were walking home later that day, just in time for dinner. Akemi was hungry, and she didn't always appreciate so much exercise in one day. However, she grudgingly admitted that it was important. The thing that was really bothering her was Jiyou's attitude. It had drastically changed from rage (earlier in the morning) to brooding silence.

_Maybe she just woke up on the wrong side of the bed...It doesn't help that Maro thinks he's so great all the time. That could get on anyone's nerves._ She glanced at Jiyou_. Yep, something's wrong._

"What's the matter?" she finally asked.

Although she hadn't expected such a "detailed" response, she was told, "I don't have a Jutsu to make my bed, Gaara doesn't know I exist, training is difficult, and (very quietly) someone's following us."

Alarmed, Akemi hissed, "Who?"

Both stopped and thought, _Naruto!_ Slowly turning around, they saw...nothing. Relieved, they turned back and came face to face with (guess who)...Naruto.

_Not again!_ Jiyou thought.

Before he could say anything both girls ran as quickly as possible down the streets. They came to an intersection and silently agreed to split up. Feeling safe, Jiyou looked back and was relieved to see she hadn't been followed. Akemi, however, was in trouble. Jiyou groaned, knowing that Naruto must know which way her sister had gone..._And_ Akemi was headed straight towards Sasuke's home!

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Meanwhile, Akemi was sure Naruto was still following her, and she wasn't going to slow down! If only she could throw something – maybe a sharp object – at him! Unfortunately she wasn't paying attention and – "Oof!" – she ran into someone...

No, it wasn't Naruto. To her horror, it was Sasuke. The girl sighed as his dark eyes stared down at her. Looking up at him she began to say something, but he directed his attention elsewhere...behind her. Akemi tipped her head back (she _was_ lying on the ground) and shrieked. Jumping up, she prepared herself for a possible fight. If it was Naruto, she was _not_ going to lose to him in front of Sasuke!

At least, she thought it was Naruto until she heard, "Akemi! Wait! You're going to go to..." Jiyou stopped suddenly, but not soon enough. She fell over Sasuke's foot and bowled him over. Akemi wanted to hide. Seeing her sister struggle to get off of Sasuke made her day even better.

_She's so clumsy! But then again, at least it wasn't Naruto. _She would've been even more embarassed if her crush had seen her running away from that pest.

Akemi went over to Jiyou and gave her a hand up. Sasuke was perfectly capable of getting himself off the ground. Jiyou offered him a mumbled apology, "Uh, sorry about that..." Not surprisingly, he looked annoyed, and Akemi almost wanted to hide, again.

Jiyou, noticing Akemi's depressed state, said with more enthusiasm, "Hey, Sasuke, sorry about crushing you...You know Akemi, yes? Yes. Good. Ok. Ummm..." She stopped as she looked over his shoulder and saw _Naruto_! He was going to ruin _everything_!

"Ya, I gotta go...fix something. Bye Akemi! Sasuke." Jiyou grinned and fled surprisingly fast.

Jiyou knew she'd have to – _gulp!_ – _flirt_ with Naruto to save Akemi's chance. Walking over to where Naruto could see her, she waited for him to catch up...


	3. Chapter 3: Screaming & Kicking

_Authors' Notes:_ Now let's see what happens when we throw Naruto into the mix...Heheheh...

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Back at Sasuke's house…

"Yeah, hi. I'm Akemi." Akemi blurted before she could stop herself. _Gah! Of course he knows your name, stupid! Jiyou just said it! And she's acting even weirder now; why'd she run away? I don't need this right now, I'm embarassed enough already! _

"Right," Sasuke answered. He was beginning to frustrate Akemi because he _still_ sounded so disinterested. _Ok, he doesn't want, or need, more girls following him like wackos. He's got enough of them. Talk about something Akemi, anything_!

"But everyone knows who you are. They say you're a prodigy. I believe it. Do you think you're one…er…Nevermind. I'm sorry. Having girls follow you all the time must get annoying, too…" Akemi stopped when she realized she was rambling; Sasuke was looking at her like she was just another aforementioned obsessed girl.

She stared for a moment – _Why did I say all that? It wasn't supposed to come out that way!_ – and finally said, "Well, I'd better go after my sister. It was nice…talking…to you." Akemi turned so Sasuke wouldn't see her blushing.

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Meanwhile, Jiyou was wondering how much Jutsu techniques she could take in one day, because that was all Naruto talked about! They had walked at least a mile around town and Naruto's mouth had been going the whole time.

_Akemi owes me big time!_ Jiyou thought. Finally he included Jiyou in the "conversation."

"So, what Jutsus are you interested in?" Jiyou knew very well that Naruto wanted her to say a Shadow Clone Jutsu or something else he'd accomplished, but after being stuck listening to his one–sided conversation, it was the _last_ thing she was going to do.

_He doesn't deserve more compliments…he doesn't even deserve my attention!_

With a small smirk on her face, Jiyou answered, "Well…I really like desert combat."

Naruto seemed agitated. He knew only one person that excelled in that area, "Cha! That's sooo simple! Anyone from Sunagakure could learn those moves! Believe it!"

Jiyou became offended and felt it was appropriate to stick up for her crush in his absence, "I don't know. Gaara's _really_ good. I think he's one of the better Genin here…"

Naruto became very upset, "No way! I could beat him with one hand easily! Freak from nowhere…"

For a while Jiyou and Naruto walked in silence.

As they walked past an alleyway near a shop front, Jiyou saw none other than…Gaara! Unfortunately, Naruto spotted him as well. Recalling the past conversation with Jiyou (and seeing that Gaara was alone) he boldly approached.

_What a jerk! He's so full of himself! _But, hoping the blonde annoyance would get his butt kicked, Jiyou followed.

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After Akemi's failed attempt to try (yet again) to make a good impression on Sasuke, she was walking around town, lost in her own thoughts and going nowhere in particular. _How could I have messed that up? This is so frustrating! But maybe if he's not interested it's just not worth it…_ Although she knew she wasn't about to give up that easily. The least she could do was try to fend off the other girls.

Just then Akemi heard voices, arguing voices. _Oh no…_

She happened to walk into the middle of a yelling–fest, but soon realized Naruto was doing most of the yelling. And he _had _to be shouting at Gaara. Not too far away stood Jiyou, looking like she wanted to punch Naruto out. 

_Great._ Akemi stopped next to Jiyou and asked warily, "What happened?"

"Umm, Naruto started boasting about how great his Jutsus are compared to Gaara's and then it evolved into a lot of other things. Naruto just made a comment about Gaara's gourd. Very big–headed, isn't he? The gourd's not nearly as stupid as Naruto's outfit. I'm really surprised Gaara hasn't knocked him out yet."

She then realized she might've spoken too soon. "Hey," Jiyou pointed out, "look at Gaara."

Her sister stared. "He's actually…grinning."

"You don't think he's thinking about…you know…_killing_ Naruto, do you?"

"No, of course not," Akemi reassured her. They watched as Naruto got redder and Gaara assumed an even more devious look. "Stop him!"

"Why? Naruto will be out of our hair soon if we're lucky," Jiyou replied.

Thinking fast (she wasn't about to let a fellow Genin get hurt…or killed…if she could help it) Akemi said, "Yeah, but what will happen to Gaara?"

Panic hit Jiyou. "NO!" she screamed and kicked Naruto in the back of the knee as hard as she could, causing him to fall over.

Jiyou's reaction and, well, _strange _way of handling the situation caused the older girl to snicker a bit. She, Jiyou, and Gaara watched Naruto roll on the ground, hugging his knee in pain.

"Uh, well, nice technique. It worked, but it wasn't really what I expected…." Akemi commented.

"What else was I supposed to do? I could've seriously hurt him using a Jutsu or a weapon…That is, if I wasn't careful."

"Yeah, you were upset. It probably would've 'accidentally' gone wrong. And of course you care about not 'seriously' hurting Naruto," Akemi cast a knowing glance at Jiyou.

"AH! What'd you do that for?" Naruto was now off the ground, but his knee was still clearly bothering him.

Gaara had walked away by then and was halfway down the street. Akemi thought about punching Naruto, but instead yelled, "Because Gaara could've killed you, you idiot! He has no problem with doing that, and he does it well!" She noted how much better she felt after screaming, ignoring the surprised looks from Jiyou and Naruto.

While Naruto was still staring, Akemi told her sister, "If you want, you could still catch Gaara. I don't think Naruto will bother you…for now. I think he's afraid you'll take out _both_ his knees."

_Sigh._ Watching her crush's disappearing figure, Jiyou replied, "No. He's probably frustrated, and mad. I don't want to push it. I think he's had enough 'socialization' for one day."

She turned towards Naruto. "Sorry about kicking you. It was for your own good."

The two girls headed home, hoping they wouldn't be followed by the orange–clad loudmouth.

"So, how'd it go with Sasuke?"

Akemi just shook her head.

"Oh…Well, I'm sure it's ok. Afterall, he doesn't talk," Jiyou said.

Akemi sighed. "Yeah, my 'soulmate' lacks emotion and the ability to carry on a conversation and yours…Yours is a, well…a born assasin…"

"Hmmm…Yeah. Whatcha gonna do?"

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	4. Chapter 4: Bad Hair Day

_Disclaimer: _Don't own Naruto...

_Authors' Notes: _Akemi and Jiyou's cousin appears in this one. How appropriate, his name (Maro) means "myself"...That should give you some insight into his character! Their sensei also comes in. He doesn't have a name, you'll notice. (We wanted to keep it simple.)

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_**CRASH!**_

Akemi looked up from her morning cup of tea and shouted towards the bathroom, "Jiyou? Are you alright in there?"

"I...can't...fix...my...HAIR!" Jiyou cried in distress.

Akemi looked over and told Jiyou to come out. Slowly the door opened. Half of Jiyou's head poked out. "See, there is nothing..." The door opened all the way. "...wro- Whoa! I mean, how'd that happen?" Akemi asked, wide-eyed.

Tearing away at her hair with a brush, Jiyou explained, "I have no idea! I think I slept wrong."

_You _think_ you slept wrong!_ Akemi looked into her tea, struggling not to laugh.

Her sister pulled the brush away and looked in the mirror. _Why is this happening to _me

The hair which normally fell neatly over her right eye was now sticking straight up in all directions! Akemi would _definitely_ not tell Jiyou, but it looked like a porcupine was on her head.

"Ummm, well...did you try using a lot of hair gel?" she offered.

"Of course I tried that!" the frustrated girl yelled back, still wrenching on her hair.

"You could try a new hairstyle. You know, experiment," Akemi replied calmly.

"What am I gonna do, stick a ponytail on the top of my head?" Jiyou asked sarcastically.

"It might look cute...Or wear your headband a different way. We'll be late if you don't do _something_."

Still shouting, the sister replied, "Well I'm NOT LEAVING until I'm _happy_ with my HAIR! (very quietly) Do you think a ponytail _would_ work?"

Jiyou moaned as Akemi's laughter filled the hallway. All of a sudden she got an idea. _Maybe a different headband style is best._

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Walking outside was another embarassing event for Akemi, seeing as Jiyou practically hid behind her the whole way.

"Stop! You look finnnne!"

"Yeah, _real_ convincing, Akemi!"

"Hey, Temari is coming," Akemi warned.

"No!" Jiyou whispered hoarsely. "Is Gaara with her?"

"Nooo...Wait...Yes. Yep, he is."

"AAAHHH! What'll I do?"

_Heheheh._ "Nothing...I was just kidding."

"That is _not_ funny!" Jiyou cried. She would have punched the older girl in the arm if she wasn't using her as a shield.

As Temari neared the two, Jiyou was forced to think fast. Jumping from behind Akemi, she assumed a relaxed pose, putting the band over the right half of her face. Temari passed them silently.

"Hey Temari! What's up?" Jiyou said nervously. _I hope she doesn't notice my hair._

She didn't. Instead, she gave the girl a questioning look. As Temari walked away, Akemi said, "You know, you only drew more attention to yourself by talking to her. You look like Kakashi like that...But it was a good idea to put the band over your hair. Now it's not as...uhhh...upity?"

_Sigh_. "Thanks."

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But it wasn't so easy to hide Jiyou's hair from their cousin, Maro. Needless to say, he burst out laughing when he saw Jiyou.

_Sometimes it's not worth it to have members of your own family on your team. Actually, in Maro's case, it's definitely not worth it!_ Akemi thought angrily, narrowing her eyes at his immaturity. Looking around, she made sure their sensei wasn't there yet. _If Jiyou can keep shouting and distracting Maro...it's a good time to practice the Inner Decapitation Jutsu..._

At first Maro didn't realize he was sinking...until he noticed he was getting shorter than still-angry Jiyou. Akemi pulled him under until he was just a head, and suddenly she was standing over him with an evil smile on her face.

"Hmmm...I think you could use a new hairstyle, too, Maro," she told him.

She reached out and started messing up his hair. It wasn't hard – he put so much gel in it that Akemi could form it any way she wanted! Jiyou was doubled over, laughing, watching Akemi's lightening-fast hands. Finally, she finished and stepped back so Jiyou could see what Maro's hair looked like _now_...

Long spikes topped off with large globe-shaped spheres now replaced Maro's once "perfect" hair!

_The best part is that Maro doesn't have a mirror!_ thought Jiyou, feeling better about her own hair problem. After a while the laughter ceased and both girls bent to pull their cousin up. Then, realizing he'd have a chance to get back at them, they only pulled him up to his forearms.

Jiyou walked around Maro's head, taking in every "spike of embarassment" (she counted nine).

"How did you make those spheres?" she asked her sister.

From behind them, both girls were startled when they heard, "Yes, how _did_ you, Akemi?"

They looked at one another, silently arguing who should turn around. Since the question was directed at Akemi, she did. To her dismay, it was Sensei. He was giving her a serious look, but Akemi couldn't decide if there was any trace of amusement in it...Probably not.

_But what could I expect? I was bound to get caught anyway. _Trying to sound matter-of-fact, to their sensei she replied, "It was nothing, really."

Not able to resist another prank – _I'm going to get into soo much trouble for this._ – Akemi went over to Maro to give a "demonstration." She formed his hair into a larger sphere, making a globe on Maro's head, an afro of some sort...

Neither Akemi nor Jiyou could supress small smiles. Sensei just shook his head. "Maybe your 'skills' would be put to better use training, not hairstyling."

_Sigh. Sensei can be so boring!_

As he walked away, the two girls started to follow, until they heard Maro shouting, "ACK! Help! Get it off meeee!"

They turned and saw some type of bird pulling at their cousin's hair. Both ran to asist him. The bird finally let go and deserted its ideal "nest." Maro was pulled up from the ground whining loudly, but Akemi and Jiyou were running to catch up to their sensei.

When they reached him he was sitting on a boulder in the middle of a field. "Hmph. There you are," he grunted. Glancing at Maro trying to fix his hair, Sensei said to the two girls, "As punishment-"

Groans from the girls. Sensei cleared his throat loudly. "As PUNISHMENT for your immature behavior _and_ being late to class (Akemi and Jiyou looked at each other, mouthing bad words about Sensei) I have decided that all of you will practice Leaf Concentration, since you can't seem to concentrate on your training, and after that, forty laps."

The two girls groaned again; Maro looked indignant. _This is going to be the worst day ever!_ Despaired Akemi, who had hoped to practice weapon throwing that day.

Leaf concentration was not only dull, it was elementary, and although forty laps wasn't an extremely long distance (compared to what they could've gotten), Akemi hoped she wouldn't "run into" anyone and cause herself more embarassment... 

So training began as Akemi, Jiyou, and Maro placed leaves on their foreheads...

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	5. Chapter 5: The Run In

_Authors' Notes:_ Now to add in another character, to Akemi and Jiyou's dismay...

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After an hour or so of the concentration drill Jiyou whispered to Akemi, "I can't feel my forehead!"

"QUIET!" yelled sensei, "This is a concentration drill!"

Jiyou glared up at her leaf. _Stupid leaf, _I HATE YOU_! Almost as much as I hate Sensei!_

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Another hour passed before Sensei finally announced the end of the task. "Now on to running!" The three students got up, all feeling dizzy and light-headed. "Move it! Fifty laps. I want all of you to run around the edge of the forest."

"But you said-" Maro's complaining was cut short by the sensei's harsh voice, " I KNOW what I said Maro! This is what I'm saying _now._ I've decided to have you work harder. Now GET! And I'll know if you take any short cuts!"

Maro and Akemi started immediately. Jiyou, however, paused to crush her leaf deep into the ground before she joined them. _HMPH! That'll teach ya! _she thought at her leaf, feeling very pleased with herself.

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The first five miles went by quickly. _Wow! This isn't so bad. Running from Naruto does wonders. I really should thank him….Nah! _Akemi thought. Jiyou was on her heels but Maro was lagging.

Jiyou turned and jogged backwards, "Pick it up Maro…or is your hair weighing you down?" Before she could add a cruel laugh, she saw her cousin charging angrily towards her. _Damn it! _Jiyou turned back to her sister and started to run at full speed, jumping over rocks and anything else in her way.

"I'll meet up with you later!" Jiyou called to Akemi. With that, she jumped off the trail into the dark forest. Akemi reluctantly followed her as best she could. Maro (slow and dimwitted) also pursued, but was yards away from the two girls.

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Panting heavily, Jiyou stopped to sit under a tall pine. _Where am I? How far did I go?_ Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a loud **_CRACK!_** nearby. Frightened at first Jiyou laughed airily, "Haha. Very funny Maro. I give up, I'm sorry."

**_CRACK!_** "Ok! NOT FUNNY!" Jiyou heard a third **_SNAP!_** and was now officially unnerved. "Alright! Quit it! Some people don't know when to stop!"

There was silence. An even more eerie thing than loud noises.

_Relax Jiyou….See? Nothing. Whatever it was, its gone now…. _She sat up alert, sensing chakra from somewhere close and was startled when she heard a dull, mocking voice from behind.

"Who doesn't know when to stop?" Jiyou almost screamed when she turned and saw Kankuro staring at her dangerously. Before she could answer he grabbed her by her shirt and lifted her a few feet from the ground. " What are you doing here? Trying to steal my moves?"

_Hmph…Moves? What moves? You play with stupid mannequins! And what a strange day! First Temari, now Kankuro. Maybe I'll see Gaara! Wait, I can't! My hair's still messed up. _Kankuro shook her hard, breaking her lost-in-thought stare, "Huh? Answer me!" Jiyou glared at him angrily.

Meanwhile, Akemi, who was running until she spotted Kankuro threatening Jiyou, stopped and advanced quietly.

Jiyou didn't want to be afraid, but Kankuro could frighten a lot of people. _Especially with all those tiki-looking lines on his face._ Of course she definitely didn't want _him _to know she was intimidated, so she masked her terror with attitude, "Put me down you jerk! I wasn't stealing any of your dumb moves!"

He tightened his grip and Akemi saw the danger. She stepped from the protection of the trees and yelled over to him, "KANKURO!" His ugly face turned towards her voice, malevolence in his eyes.

_Oops…Not a very good idea! _Akemi panicked internally. But she continued, "Let go of my sister!" _Oh right, like he'd listen to that! I guess I could use weapons if I had to….seeing as I'm not in any condition to fight, dumb Leaf Concentration! _

"And what could _you _do to _me_?"

_Ugh! Enough of his taunting! _Instead of rushing at him (she was sure he would spot that sort of attack and prevent it) Akemi struck her fists into the ground. Kankuro lost his balance as the earth corroded beneath his feet. He instantly let go of Jiyou, who fell hard on her butt. While Kankuro was temporarily distracted Akemi yelled to her younger sister, "I know we shouldn't run from a fight, but RUN!"

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The two hadn't gotten far before they caught up with Maro. He gave them a confused look.

"Ack! Just run!" Jiyou yelled.

"T'cha! From what? I've already run my laps and I don't need you telling me to run more!"

"Please! For once will you just listen to us? Kankuro's back there!" Akemi was becoming frustrated with how troublesome her team had been all day.

Maro snickered mockingly, "Oh no! Not Kankuro! Geez you're pathetic; I could take him down in two seconds!"

"Well good, you do that! We, on the other hand, want to report back to Sensei in one piece!" Jiyou retorted. Akemi wasn't that keen on how Jiyou handled things. Egging Maro on wasn't the best way to get him to listen. But the two girls continued to jog, leaving their cousin back in the forest.

"Should we just leave him there?" asked Akemi. Jiyou was about to say "yes," but she remembered how important teamwork was to their sensei. They groaned and headed back to where they had left Maro.

Neither one wanted another run-in with Gaara's brother so they dodged behind every other rock or tree. They had no doubt in their minds that they probably looked completely insane.

"Jiyou, I hear something ahead," Akemi whispered to her sister. Both peered out from the rock they shared for camoflague and saw their cousin running towards them.

"I thought you said you could take him!" Akemi teased as the team ran side-by-side.

"Yeah, well, I figured it should be a team effort…and he looks pretty angry," Maro replied trying to sound matter-of-fact.

_Whatever_. Jiyou rolled her eyes and looked back over her shoulder, for what she didn't know.

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When they finally reached the path they slowed down. "Do you think that counts for our fifty laps?" Jiyou panted.

"It had better!" Akemi grumbled. _Now to face Sensei's wrath…again._

They found their sensei and were surprised when he didn't question the cause of their delayed return. _And I thought he knew everything_, Akemi thought.

"Hopefully I won't catch you pulling pranks again. I trust you all learned your lesson and will be more responsible."

Akemi gave Maro a warning glare, not wanting him to mention anything that happened, but when she looked over at her sensei, he seemed to have a knowing gleam in his eyes.

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It was still somewhat early in the day but the Hasekura sisters walked home, having had enough excitement.

"Thanks for helping me back there," Jiyou admitted.

"Oh, I'm sure you could've handled Kankuro…if you didn't get so easily distracted!" Akemi told her with a smile. "Hopefully you'll have more luck with your hair tomorrow," she added.

Amazingly Jiyou's hair hadn't changed much since the morning. Jiyou replied with an annoyed groan and clasped her hands over her brown hair.

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	6. Chapter 6: Tree Climbing

_Disclaimer:_ blah blah...

_Authors' Notes: _Another day, another "mission"...And Gaara!

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Early morning arrived at the Hasekura household. Jiyou was still asleep when a loud knock at the door woke her suddenly. Peering over at her alarm clock (which read 4:16 am), Jiyou grunted and attempted to go back to sleep.

_Let someone else get it. I still have a good hour and a half of sleep left. _Her thoughts were interrupted by another knock. Finally getting out of bed, Jiyou stumbled into the bathroom, making sure she looked somewhat collected. Stomping over to the door (muttering under her breath about how lucky Akemi was to have her as a sister) she yelled out, "I'M COMING!"

Jiyou slowly opened the door and was startled by their sensei. _What does he want this early?_ She tried to force her mouth into a polite smile but gave up, figuring that it was too early to start lying to the sensei.

"We meet at the field we practiced in yesterday in one hour. _Don't_ be late." With that said he walked off towards Maro's home.

_ACK! I can't _believe_ that was all he wanted! _Jiyou stormed off to Akemi's room. Her jaw dropped when she opened the door. Akemi was awake reading. _She was UP? The _whole_ time? _

"Who was that, Jiyou?" she barely glanced up from the book.

_Hm. Do I sense payback? Sure, why not. _Jiyou thought deviously, "Oh no one that important. Just Sasuke."

"Sasuke. Really, Jiyou. And this whole time I thought it was be Gaara coming to take you away. What a shame."

Jiyou growled at her sister's smirk. _I should have known that wouldn't work_. Jiyou caught herself falling into another one of her staring trances. "Sensei wants us, so get ready." Jiyou pouted and slammed the screen behind her.

_I can't believe Jiyou thought I'd fall for that. I wonder what Sensei wants us to do now._ Akemi dragged herself out of bed and away from the good book she had buried herself in.

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Akemi and Jiyou were once again walking to the training field (luckily there weren't any hair problems this morning). "Do you think sensei knows about yesterday?" Akemi asked Jiyou. Jiyou shrugged and yawned_. It's still too early to be awake! _

As the two went down a side street Akemi happened to look up and, to her surprise, saw Gaara sitting in a nearby tree! It was known fact that he was an insomniac, so it came as no surprise that he was awake this early. She grabbed Jiyou's arm to stop her from walking any farther and hissed, "Do not tell me that you want to walk past that tree after what happened yesterday with Kankuro! _He_ could kill us, too!"

"Why would Gaara kill us Akemi? And plus, do you _want_ to be late again?" Jiyou paused and pondered a moment. _Wait. She may have a point, running from a fight is extremely embarrassing. Oh well. _

"C'mon." Jiyou and Akemi continued to walk.

"Akemi, should I look up?" Jiyou had been waiting for the best time to try out another one of her flirting moves and had finally found the perfect opportunity.

"No! Jiyou, I don't even know why you like him! But if you _have_ to flirt, look up after we pass by."

"Now?" Jiyou was becoming anxious.

"No! Not yet. Ok, now." Just as Jiyou lifter her neck to look up, she heard an all too familiar voice.

"Hey Jiyou! Hey Akemi! What's up? Hah, I see your hair's back to normal, well as normal as it'll probably ever be! I bet it took HOURS to fix it! Hahaha!" Jiyou whipped around and saw Maro walking towards them. "Shut up!" Akemi sneered, "Do you want to wake everyone up you chijin?"

Jiyou stared at where Gaara had been moments before her ignorant cousin arrived. Turning back to Maro she screamed, "I…am going…to KILL YOU!"

"Jiyou no! Not AGAIN!" Akemi shouted out as she chased the two.

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All three young nnjas arrived at the field early and out of breath. Sensei greeted them with a frown and crossed his arms, "Today I have a few…errands for you to run. Listen carefully because you'll have to remember them all." He began to name the most pointless tasks anyone could imagine. _Darn! No weapons training today either! _Akemi thought angrily.

The first job was to purchase Ramen noodles, although none of the team members could recall if their sensei had asked for a 1 pound or 2 pound bag. To be safe they bought a 1 ½ pound bag. After that Maro started to complain that he was hungry. "Well you should have eaten breakfast!" was the only response he got. Unfortunately, by the time they brought the bag back to their sensei, 1/4th of the bag had "mysteriously" vanished. How, the girls didn't really know.

Next they had to sharpen their sensei's kunai knives. Ten minutes into the task Akemi was tempted to stick one into Maro's leg, or arm, or any other body part she could reach. While Jiyou and Akemi simply sat down and got to work, Maro just _had_ to whine and complain and eventually throw a knife "accidentally" into a tree several yards away. "I'll get it!" Maro offered but Akemi pushed him away and said, "No, _I'll_ get it! Get to work!" She stalked off into the brush.

"Geeze! What's her problem?" Maro asked densely. Jiyou just glared at him and continued to smash the rock she was using onto the blade fiercely. Pretending the knife was their sensei's head helped her cope with her anger. _I hope Akemi brings me something to eat. I wish I could run off. She's lucky. _

Akemi returned a few minutes later and to Jiyou's displeasure, with no food. _Why didn'_t _she run back into town? That excuse could have lasted for a good half hour! _

After all the blades had been sharpened their sensei came over. He inspected each carefully (hesitating when he looked over the knife Jiyou had "sharpened;" the blade was slightly bent in one area where she had applied extra force). "Alright. Now you are going to retrieve the shurikens thrown by earlier groups." Earlier_ groups? No other groups are out this early! I wonder if they're really _his_ shurikens. That'd be just like him. _Jiyou's lips curled in anger.

His voice interrupted her train of thought, "Yes. I want you to recollect _ten_ shurikens. If you don't collect all of them you'll have to sharpen _every_ kunai of _every_ Genin group. These weapons are very important to me…I mean, the other groups. The task is meant for you to practice your climbing skills and whatever other ability is necessary for you to collect the shurikens. Now get going! I'll give you until sunset! Do not run from the task because I _will_track you down."

The three relatives moaned as they set off towards the forest. "This is going to take forever!" Jiyou whined and was a little reluctant to enter the forest.

"Let's just get this over with. I think we should split up." Jiyou began to freak out at Akemi's offer. "Split up? Split up!"

_Wait, if I run into Kankuro again I'll kick his butt and maybe I'll impress Gaara! Alright! That's a great idea! _"Okay. I agree with Akemi. Let's split up." Akemi and Maro stared at Jiyou's sudden change of mind. "What?" She noted the strange expressions.

"Nothing. C'mon." Akemi was first to enter and Maro and Jiyou started off in either direction.

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Akemi was certainly not happy. _Two bad days in a row! What more could go wrong? _She wanted to get the hunt over as soon as possible and started looking in the trees that were used for target practice. _The only thing I can practice is my tree climbing! _Akemi looked up and saw a shuriken in a top branch. _Either someone has bad aim or that was planted there_.

Gathering chakra in her feet Akemi ran straight up the tree. Getting up was no problem, retrieving the shuriken was, however. As Akemi tugged on it she lost her balance and had to grab a close branch. As she hung there she was dismayed to see Temari right below her. _Great. This is embarrassing. _

"Having trouble Akemi?" Temari called, making it sound like Akemi was inferior. "No, no. I'm not. I'm just fine." Akemi cursed the weapon under her breath. _Come on! Get out! Darn, I'm starting to remind myself of Jiyou, she's always talking to herself. _

"Sorry to distract you from your…_training_, but I'm looking for my brothers. Have you seen them?" Finally ripping the shuriken from the tree, Akemi jumped down landing smoothly in front of Temari.

"I saw Gaara this morning. He was in town." Akemi glared at her.

"Hmph. He's spending a lot of time alone lately. So, I haven't talked to you in a while. What is this task?"

Akemi couldn't tell her the embarrassing truth so she lied, "I'm just helping my cousin retrieve his shurikens from yesterday. He obviously has bad aim."

"Apparently so. Well, I'll see you around." Temari turned coldly and walked off.

_Ugh. I really don't like her. Oh look, another shuriken. _Akemi headed to another tall tree.

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_I hate sensei. I hate sensei. I hate, I hate, I HATE sensei! _Jiyou hummed to herself, "This is sooo BORING!" She shouted and her voice echoed through the trees. _Oops! _"Whatever. It's not like anyone is around to hear me," Jiyou muttered and decided to sit down for a minute. Looking around she saw not one shuriken. _Sigh. _Jiyou laid back and gazed at the tops of the trees.

Just then a shuriken whizzed by narrowly missing her nose. Alarmed she bolted upright. No one was in sight. _It's ok Jiyou. Calm down. _Getting up Jiyou found the shuriken stuck in a pine. Pulling it out she looked around. Nothing, so she continued to walk.

She got about two feet when another shuriken passed overhead. As she retrieved that one she became uneasy. _Ok, this is _not _good._ Jiyou was almost scared to find out who it was, but she had to know who could be threatening her.

Following the direction from which the shuriken was thrown, Jiyou once again saw Gaara sitting in a tree. _Why is he teasing me like this? He's just watching! What should I do? Are these his? _Jiyou looked down at the weapons she held. Her heartbeat quickened. Hoping she wouldn't say something stupid, Jiyou tried to talk, " Um. You're not trying to kill me or anything, right?"

Gaara shook his head and Jiyou let out a sigh of relief. She would never hear the end of it from Akemi if Gaara hurt her. "Are these yours or are you making my lame task easier_?" I must be crazy for talking to him like this. That's it Jiyou, you're wacked! _She scolded herself as Gaara's sleepless eyes bored down on her.

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	7. Chapter 7: Jiyou's Crush

_Authors' Notes:_ It's a bit short. Gaara is probably OOC...but isn't Jiyou's crush kawaii?

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After finding three shurikens Akemi wandered around the forest aimlessly. _I wonder if I should look for more. Eh, only if I happen to find some._ Instead of chasing after more weapons, Akemi targeted a tree and decided to practice the Shadow Shuriken Clone Technique. _There's still time before it gets dark, I might as well practice useful jutsus. _She hit the target fairly accurately and was lining up again when Maro jumped out from behind the tree and nearly got his head taken off.

"I was concentrating you _idiot_!" shouted Akemi.

"Well you're _supposed_ to be looking for shurikens, not playing with them." Maro retorted.

_At least I'm trying to train unlike some lazy bums!_ Akemi thought to herself. "Yeah, well, how many do you have?" He just gave her a look. "Well then I guess you'd better start searching."

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_What should I do? Run, no that's stupid. Talk, no that wouldn't work. Climb? Up his tree? Am I nuts? _

Again, Jiyou caught herself staring. She broke her trance and made sure Gaara was still there. He was. Jiyou slowly made her way to the base of the tree. Looking up at him she asked, "Are these yours, though?" He shook his head "no." "Oh, well…Thanks Gaara. I'm having a ton of trouble finding them. Actually, I bet I wouldn't if I just searched well enough." She made sure once again that he was still watching. _Wow! He's not leaving! I must be getting better at this!_

Gaara was silent. _Is he going to say anything?_ Jiyou glanced down at the two shurikens, then in no particular direction, and finally back at Gaara. But he wasn't there. _Sigh._ Still staring at where he'd been, she began to walk forward.

Head turned, she almost ran into Gaara, who was now hanging upside-down from another tree. Startled, Jiyou screamed in surprise and fell backwards. She laughed nervously. _I wonder how he does that? Why is he not talking to me?_ Jiyou sat up and looked at Gaara dumbly. "Next time don't run from a fight." With that Gaara disappeared into the tree tops. Jiyou sat holding her head. _He's sooo cool!_

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Meanwhile, Akemi was not so…lucky. She had refused to help Maro look for shurikens and he was complaining again. Finally she told him, "I'm _reeeally_ tempted to just leave you here. If you don't return before dark it'll be your own fault! By the way, did I mention that Temari was looking for her brothers earlier? Who knows, maybe they're still here." Maro glared at her teasing.

Akemi left to find Jiyou. "And I found three so if Jiyou found three, you'd better find _four_!"

Passing through the forest another shuriken caught her eye. The word "teamwork," popped into her mind but Akemi didn't do anything. _Let him do something on his own. Gosh, he'd be a lot cooler if he acted more like Sasuke...or even Gaara. Although that's more of a strange coolness. _

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Akemi eventually found her sister and was glad to see that she had collected four shurikens. _Well at least Maro ought to be competent enough to find three. Ha! Unless he goes on a wild goose chase looking for four! _Akemi and Jiyou agreed to go back and look for Maro; they were running out of time.

On the way, Akemi asked, "Sooo, were you as bored as I was?" Akemi had noticed something weird about Jiyou's demeanor; she was her sister afterall, and sisters have a tendency to notice things.

"Uhhh….I dunno," Jiyou replied vaguely. Akemi quirked an eyebrow but couldn't ask for a detailed response. They had found Maro.

Immediately he began complaining about how he couldn't find four shurikens. Akemi noticed he must have had trouble finding his three, seeing the scratches all over his arms and legs. _Hah. He never was good at tree climbing. _

"Calm down, we have enough. All ten, see? Let's go." Akemi cut him off impatiently and they left to return the shurikens to their sensei.

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As the three came out of the forest, Akemi noticed Jiyou looking toward the trees. "Sooo, what did happen in there?"

Jiyou gave her sister a small grin, "Do you think this will be our permanent practice area?"

"I don't know, why?" Akemi asked suspiciously.

"Well, see I…uh…ran into someone in there and…um."

Akemi grinned, "Gaara?"

"Ya. He gave me two shurikens for some reason." Jiyou blushed and tightened her grip on the weapons.

"Ha! I _thought_ you looked a little too happy. So, what did he say?" Akemi asked curiously.

"Well, nothing really. He pretty much stayed in the trees. But man, he's one of the hottest tree-sitters I've met!"

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	8. Chapter 8: Desperate Measures

_Authors' Notes: _The last short story in this collection! More Naruto (though he may seem a little OOC) and Gaara...some Sasuke...of course Jiyou and Akemi...Haha...this is entertaining!

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Akemi was sitting at the kitchen table one bright morning. There was no training, no missions, that day and she wasn't sure what she would do with herself. She sighed, looking into her tea. Maybe she'd find a way to "bump into" Sasuke again…It slightly depressed her that she hadn't seen him in nearly a week. _Even Jiyou's been finding Gaara around more than I have Sasuke!_ For at least a day after the tree climbing incident Jiyou had walked around in a daze.

Just then, her sister came into the kitchen. "Good morning!"

"Wow, you're…awake. And cheerful," Akemi replied, surprised. Jiyou normally slept in more.

"But you're not. What's wrong?"

Akemi grumbled but decided to tell her. "Maybe I should just forget about it. I mean, like we said, he lacks emotion…"

_Poor Akemi. Maybe if she took a "walk"…Nah. Too much exercise._ "Well, I don't know…I mean, you know how Gaara is, but I still follow him…I mean…you know…not like that…I really meant to say I still _like_ him." _He's actually very hard to find_, thought Jiyou. "Don't give up."

The more Akemi thought about it, the more frustrated she became. "You know, why does there have to be so much conflict over Sasuke?"

Jiyou pretended to look thoughtful for a moment. "Welll…Maybe because he's talented…ok, more like a prodigy…and 'dark and mysterious' and all that stuff…"

"Anyone can see that. I mean…Ugh! WHY? You shouldn't pity me, you know. I need to do something about this instead of sulking." Akemi straightened and took a breath…but soon looked puzzled. "But what? Don't give me that look! I know I'm pathetic!"

As she walked away, Jiyou looked at Akemi's unfinished tea. _Wow, she must be upset. Akemi always finishes her tea. I have to do something! YAAAAA!_ Jiyou stood and called to her sister, "I'll be back!"

Stepping out of the front door, Jiyou's confidence melted away. _What _am_ I doing?_ Jiyou began walking…and soon found herself pacing in front of Sasuke's door.

Once, she raised her hand to knock, but turned away again. _What do I say to him anyway? "Hey my sister, Akemi – you remember her – really likes you, but she doesn't want to scare you away like the other girls do. So could you pleeease show a little more sensitivity and give her a chance? She won't be a crazy fangirl…" No, that'll seem like Akemi doesn't have enough backbone to do anything herself…_

It was then that Jiyou realized her doing anything (openly) probably wouldn't help.

_I have to find out what Sasuke likes. If Akemi knows that much, she can take it from there. But how…Naruto! I'll ask him when they have practice and then I'll sneak into Sasuke's house and search through his stuff! _"It _can't_ fail!" Jiyou said, laughing to herself. She stopped and looked around, making sure no one heard her.

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Jiyou finally reached Naruto's apartment. _For Akemi…For Akemi…_ she thought as she knocked on his door. Naruto startled Jiyou when he opened it, still in his pajamas. And was that a night cap or a stuffed animal on his head?

Realizing Jiyou was obviously staring at his hat, he immediately took it off. "Hey Jiyou! What are you doing here?"

She was removed from her state of shock and answered, "Oh. Um. Hey Naruto…I was just wondering if you have a mission today?"

"Why?" Naruto asked curiously.

_For Akemi!_ "'Cause I was just wondering if you (wincing) wanted to hang out later…"

He assumed his "relaxed" pose and said, "Gee…I don't know. I'm awfully busy. You know…I want to become-"

"Yes, yes. I know! But do you have a _mission_ _today_?"

Naruto was surprised. _Wow. She _really_ wants to be with me! Heheh. No one can resist me!_ "Umm…yeah, but not until the afternoon."

_DAMN! That means I have to be near him for TWO HOURS!_ "Ok. Well, I'll just come back another-"

"No!" Naruto shouted, "Let me just get my stuff! Hold up!" With that he closed the door. A few minutes later he was back. "READY! Ok, let's go!"

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Akemi heard her sister leave and immediately thought, _Oh no…What will she do?_

Having nothing better to do (_except maybe practice…no…maybe not_) Akemi left the house too. She didn't know if she should try to find Jiyou…She didn't know where she went in the first place. So, _I guess I'll just take a walk to clear my head. Yeah._

Akemi just hoped she wouldn't run into Kankuro, or Gaara…Although, because of Jiyou's crush on him, she felt he might be more tolerable. What she didn't realize was that Sasuke's "hobby" was also taking walks.

And _that_ could be potentially worse than meeting Kankuro…

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"And _then_ Sasuke tried to fight me, but he _knew_ he couldn't ever match my chakra, so he just-"

"Ok! I get it already. Can we go somewhere else?"

"Why? You don't like the ramen noodles? I'll have 'em. By the way, do you have any money to pay for these?"

Jiyou groaned, slapped the money into Naruto's hand, and stomped off. _AHHH! I CAN'T take him anymore! I don't ned to hang around with him anyway. I already know his team has a mission. Time to put my plan into action!_

From above, Jiyou heard the town's clock ring out. _Ha! Noon!_ But she looked up and the clock only read 11:30 am. "Ahhh! Only 30 minutes!" _I need to take a walk._

Jiyou headed towards the forest as well.

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Akemi sat beneath a tall pine. _I wonder if Jiyou's home yet…_

Her thoughts were interrupted by a stirring nearby. _What…?_ Just then Akemi saw Sasuke approaching, hands in his pockets, looking absorbed in his own thoughts. _Sasuke!_ Akemi almost panicked, but scolded herself. _Oh, stop it Akemi! You've talked to him before!_

So she just sat there, watching Sasuke get closer. _Act casual, not like you're stalking him._ "Hi, Sasuke," Akemi acknowledged him. _Was that casual?_ To her surprise, he actually stopped.

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Meanwhile, Jiyou was entering the forest, sticking to more well-worn paths. _I'm not going to run into any unwanted people this time. But seeing Gaara again would be good…Maybe I could get him to talk…_

"JIIIYOUUUU! OH, JIIIYOUUUU!"

_NARUTO! NO! _She decided it was better to get lost than let Naruto see her, so Jiyou ran into the heavy foliage. _Noo! He's coming closer! What to do, what to do? RUN? Yes, Jiyou, run MORE! Ok. I will!_

With that she took off leaping behind bushes and trees.

"There you are Jiyou!"

_I know that voice!_ Jiyou gritted her teeth as she turned and saw Naruto smiling back at her. _Great._

"Hey Naruto. I didn't seeee you there…" she said through her teeth.

"That's ok!" he replied in his extremely loud voice, "Where've you been? Exercising, I take it. I tried my best to keep up, but, man, you run fast!"

Naruto sat down near Jiyou, who had given up. "Sooo Jiyou. You've sure taken a liking to…well…me or _something_ I do…"

_Actually no. I just used you to help my sister._

"…Anyway, I was just thinking maybe you'd want to…" 

Jiyou had lost all concentration. She was too preoccupied with two insomniac's eyes staring down at her and Naruto from a tree across from where they were sitting.

"…So how about it, Jiyou? I mean Sakura's great and all, but I want to be…"

_What amazing eyes. Too bad I can't wave to him; that'd be weird for everyone. Maybe Gaara will save me from Naruto…_

"…really likes me back. So, Jiyou, what do you say?"

She hadn't even noticed that Naruto had been creeping towards her. All of a sudden, Naruto's face popped into Jiyou's line of vision, cutting her off from that water-colored stare.

"AACK!" she screamed as she toppled backwards, caught off-guard. Naruto's arm shot out to steady her, and he momentarily grabbed the _wrong place _– _Oh, he better NOT have done that on purpose!_ – but he quickly recovered, moving his hand up to her shoulder.

"Sorry. Were you listening to me?" he asked.

Jiyou was enraged and _reeally_ hoped Gaara hadn't seen that. She shook Naruto's hand off. "No, I was preoccupied! Not right now, please, Naruto." Her face was turning red. She glanced over Naruto's shoulder but could no longer see any sign of her crush.

Naruto, on the other hand, was giving her a confused and somewhat hurt look. Right about then Jiyou didn't care, although she realized she'd been hurting Naruto quite a bit lately. But knowing she might need him in the future (as wrong as it was), Jiyou said, "I'm sorry too." _Grrr…Not really!_ "But don't you have to go soon anyway?"

"Oh, yeah…right…" 

They stood up and Jiyou brushed herself off. _Akemi owes me _double_ this time! Why do I put myself through this?_

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	9. Chapter 9: Even More Desperate

_Authors' Notes:_ Uh-oh. Jiyou's feeling guilty and Akemi...Well, poor Akemi...

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Akemi was still sitting under the tree watching Sasuke, her mind racing. _What should I say? Ok. I need a plan. Yep. A plan. I'll start from there…What should I doooo?_

Silence.

_What should I say? Wait! I'm sick of always talking! I'll let him talk this time._

Silence.

Akemi was becoming very uncomfortable. Sasuke stared at her emotionlessly. "Hey."

_Wow. He said something!_ She just nodded.

Minutes passed and all that changed was Sasuke's pose. (He was now leaning against a tree.) Wordlessly. Finally he looked down at Akemi. "I have to go. Bye."

Akemi called quietly, "See ya around…I guess." _Ok, then…_

All of a sudden she heard angry curses and Jiyou stormed out yelling, "Damn Naruto! I wish I could just…wring his neck…or stick him to a tree with kunais…or…" Then she saw Akemi looking at her, eyes wide.

"Whoa. What happened to you? And _why_ were you with _Naruto_?"

"Uhhh…no reason. He kinda…found me. But I want to KILL him!"

"Do I _want_ to know what he did?"

"Uh, no. But I'll tell you later. (very secretively) There could be ears in the trees."

Akemi raised her eyebrows and peered upwards, expecting to see something in the branches. There wasn't anything there. "Ookaayy…I think we should go home," she told her sister, clearly worried about her. Sasuke was temporarily forgotten.

No! Was all that with Naruto for nothing? No no! I have to make up an excuse! "Actually, I still have something to do…" Yeah, great excuse. 

At another worried look from Akemi, Jiyou added, "Don't worry, I'm fine!" And she left again, leaving Akemi still under the tree.

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On the way to Sasuke's house, Jiyou couldn't stop thinking about Gaara. _I hope he doesn't think I let Naruto…What if he thinks we're dating? _Jiyou shuddered at the thought.

After a few detours, she finally arrived at the house. _Wait, what am I doing? Breaking into my sister's crush's home? If he catches me I could blow everything!_ She was filled with anxiety. _If I go through with this…I'm lower than I was before. _Conflicted, Jiyou began pacing back and forth.

After a while she saw someone coming up the path. It was Sasuke! _Oh no! I can't run! He'll chase! Naruto! Yes! I was looking for him…No. I've got it!_

Sasuke stopped in front of Jiyou and his house. "What are you doing?" he asked suspiciously.

"Oh. Ummm…er…" _Wow. What cool hair…No wonder Akemi likes him. He's a total hottie…No! Gaara! Yes! I LIKE GAARA! I really do! Really!_ "Really!" _Oops. I said that out loud. _"Um. Yes. I'm _really_ here to ask you if you've seen Akemi around."

Sasuke stared at her for a moment.

_Nice eyes…But I like Gaara's edgy ones better._

"I saw her in the forest a few hours ago," he answered, "Have you been here that long?"

"No!" she replied quickly, "Well, thanks. Bye!" _That was close. Akemi never said she met up with Sasuke. Hmmm…_

Jiyou walked on. She had one more place to stop.

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By then Akemi had resumed her walk. _What a strange day. I wonder what Jiyou had to do? _She also wondered whether she should tell her sister about her run-in with Sasuke. _If I do, she'll definitely think there's something wrong with me…Actually, there probably _is_ something wrong with me…_

Although she had moments of self-pity, Akemi hated when other people pitied her. On a whim she decided to buy herself some mochi ice cream. Later she'd catch up with her sister.

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Jiyou headed to Naruto's house with a five pound bag of ramen noodles. _Next time I'll go for a two-pounder!_ She thought as she noticed the odd looks she was getting from those around her. _Curse my tendency to feel guilty! I hope these don't make him sick. He might think they're booby- Nevermind! _Jiyou cringed, remembering the earlier event. _Ok, all I have to do is leave this in front of his door with a note. Yep. No need to run into him again._

She searched for a piece of paper. _Darn! Nothing!_ So she forced herself to knock on the door.

Naruto slowly opened it. "Jiyou."

He's upset with me. Oh no. Nonono. Don't feel guilty again! 

Too late.

"Um…hey. I'm sorry about how I treated you. These are for you…" Jiyou grabbed the bag and shoved it into Naruto's arms. "Don't worry. I didn't do anything to them, I promise."

Naruto stared at the bag and then back up at Jiyou. "Hey, thanks! So…errr…you never really answered my question back there…So how 'bout it?"

_What is he talking about? _"About what?" Jiyou asked, knowing she'd regret asking.

Naruto squirmed a bit. "You know…Do you want to be my girlfriend…?"

_Girfriend.Girlfriend.Girlfriend._ The word echoed in Jiyou's head. _Be nice. Be nice. Be nice._ "Geee Naruto. Umm…you're nice and all…but I don't like you that way…" _Oh no! If I break any small bond with Naruto, I'll lose a HUGE source of help, which is necessary for my not-yet-accomplished or not-yet-thought-up goals!_

Naruto's face fell.

Jiyou quickly added, "But we can still hang out together. As friends." Cracking her mouth into a pretty pathetic smile, she continued, "Well, I guess I'll see you around. Enjoy the noodles."

"Yeah...See ya!" Naruto replied as Jiyou began to quickly walk away.

'_Enjoy the noodles?' That was sooo stupid…_ On the way home she just happened to run into Maro. _Wait, Maro? Not good!_ Jiyou had to think fast…

Too late.

"Coming from Naruto's house? Ooh, you _like_ him, don't you, Jiyou?" he teased, putting childish emphasis on the word "like."

"No, I _don't_! So, as hard as it might be for you, put the idea _out_ of your head! I just had to…Hold on, why am I telling you this? I don't have to explain anything to you!"

_Maybe he and Naruto should hang out together…They'd get along well. And maybe it would get Naruto out of my hair…Or it could backfire and I'd have twice the trouble with both of them hanging around me!_ The thought bubble popped and Jiyou realized it would be a good time to storm off…So she did, leaving Maro's taunting behind.

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Akemi was also nearing home. She wondered if she should maybe…possibly…take a detour. One that led past Sasuke's house.

_I could just see if he's outside…Walk past inconspicuously…But if I did meet up with him again, would that be too much like stalking? I could give my mouth another chance to work properly…Or maybe he's had enough of me for one day…_

She didn't realize she'd been in such a daze, she'd stopped right in the middle of the street.

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	10. Chapter 10: Oops!

_Authors' Notes:_ Well, if you've gotten this far, thanks for sticking with the story! The next stories promise to be even crazier, more...ahem..._interesting_...hopefully with more involvement with the real Naruto characters...Whenever we decide to post them.

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"Jiyou and Naruto sittin' in a tree..."

OH MY GOSH! Will he EVER stop? Why is he following me? And besides...Naruto doesn't usually climb trees. But I know someone who does...

Jiyou continued to walk and Maro continued to taunt her. _That's IT!_ She stopped suddenly and turned on him. "I've had it with your immature teasing!" she screamed.

_Idea!_ Putting on a whining act, Jiyou began to sob, "Why can't you just accept our relationship?"

She turned and ran, laughing to herself. It took a moment for Maro to understand what Jiyou had said. _She _does_ like Naruto? This is tooo good!_

As planned, he began to chase after Jiyou, who was out of sight by now. Jiyou stepped behind a corner, into an alleyway. As soon as she heard him coming, she sank into the ground. _Hahaha! I'll get him good!_ Hearing footsteps above her, she reached up and pulled someone under using the Inner Decapitation Jutsu.

"Aha! I got you Maro!" But she looked down and screamed, "You're not Maro! I am sooo sorry!"

Because it was Gaara's head sticking out of the ground, green eyes glaring up at her.

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Maro, never good at tracking people, had turned the opposite direction from Jiyou, still running, wondering where his cousin could have gone when **_SMACK!_** He slammed into Akemi from behind. Needless to say he interrupted her thinking process. Catching her balance, she impatiently turned around.

Akemi's eyes narrowed when she saw it was Maro. Rubbing his forehead he complained, "Ow! Why'd you stop right in the middle of the street?"

"Why are _you_ always popping up on me? And why were you running in the first place?"

"I was after Jiyou. She took off...somewhere..."

_I don't blame her if you were following her!_

"I saw her coming from Naruto's house. And then she said something about a... 'relationship'...?"

_Oh, no! What idea did she get now? Wait!_ "RELATIONSHIP!" Akemi screamed. _I hope she was only joking. That can't be true..._

Directing her attention back to Maro, she told him, "I'm going after Jiyou. _You_ go home! If I catch you following me, I'll perform the Inner Decapitation Jutsu on you!"

Akemi ran off the way Maro had come. She was about to find out that Jiyou, though she couldn't get herself _out_ of the Inner Decapitation Jutsu, was also skilled at putting people into it...

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Jiyou was momentarily dumbfounded. _Ack! I have to confront him _now_? Like this? _Her earlier embarassment returned and she felt herself blushing.

Helping Gaara out, she repeated, "Sorry. I thought you were-" She broke off as she saw Akemi approaching.

"Jiyou! There you are! I – oh..." Akemi noticed a slightly dirty Gaara and her sister's warning look – the "I can handle it" look. "Nevermind. I'll see you later." And she walked away as if she hadn't seen a thing. But inwardly she groaned. _Jiyou, what did you do now? That girl has some explaining to do!_

As Gaara began to walk away, too, Jiyou took a chance and asked, "You didn't happen to see anything between me and Naruto, did you? I mean...was it you in the forest?" She dreaded the answer, although she knew it had been him. _Well...If he answers at all..._

He turned slightly. "Would it matter if I did? Would it make a difference if I was?"

"Right..." Jiyou paused, trying to piece his answers to her questions. "Bye Gaara!" she called as he disappeared.

From up in a tree, she heard a mocking voice yell, "Bye Gaara! Good riddance, too."

Jiyou didn't have to look up to know it was her cousin. "You are such a pain."

Maro jumped down, landing rather ungracefully on his butt. (As mentioned before, he wasn't the best at climbing up – or coming down from – trees.) He quickly got up and shouted, loud enough for anyone to hear, "So...Where's your BOYFRIEND? Shouldn't you be with NARUTO, or are you cheating on him with GA- "

Maro was cut short as he was pulled down. The Inner Decapitation Jutsu. For a moment he had a confused look on his face, which then turned to anger.

Akemi came up and put her hands on her hips. "Sorry, Jiyou. You probably wanted to do that yourself, but I _warned_ him...!" And leaning down, she slapped Maro in the back of the head. "As for you, you baka, would you like another 'great' hairstyle?"

He looked at her hatefully and yelled, "Get me OUT of here right now!"

"Hmph. I don't see why we should. I say we leave him here. Let him get himself out," sneered Jiyou, most definitely not feeling forgiving.

The two siblings began to walk away...Until Akemi turned around and decided to give Maro a cone-shaped hairdo. They snickered nastily as they ran off.

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"So...I take it Gaara is still kind of...a loner," Akemi assumed, seeing her sister's depressed expression.

"Yeah...I don't know what to do..." Jiyou sighed.

"Sorry, can't help you there." Akemi remembered her own "predicament." "But I think you have a long story to tell..."

Jiyou told her briefly. Afterwards, Akemi looked at her, "You did all that for me, because I was pouting? Wow...I guess I really have to think up a way to help you now..."

"But we didn't solve your problem yet."

"I thinks it's...ok..."

Jiyou tried to hide her doubtful expression, but Akemi saw it. "Fine, so it's not completely ok..." _Why are guys so hard to understand?_

"At least I can guess where Gaara is most of the time...I'll try to find him during some of our stupid 'missions.'"

Akemi smirked at her sister's philosophy of how to get a guy's attention. "So, he _did_ see you with Naruto?"

"Yeah. Grrrr! Why did I have to pull the jutsu on _him_?"

"Because Maro's a terrible tracker and Gaara's...always nearby."

_She has a point. He is always nearby. I wonder if he likes...No. Maybe he just knows trouble follows me everywhere and wants to watch me get out of sticky situations._ "Hey Akemi..."

"Hmmm?"

"Why are you bothered by Gaara? You're always so...tense when you see him."

_Same with Sasuke, actually..._ Akemi thought. "I don't know. He's a bit...scary...considering everything. I don't know how you can look past all that."

Jiyou looked thoughtful. Akemi changed the subject. "We should probably be more concerned about Maro. He's still all alone. Someone might hurt him..."

Jiyou laughed at her sister's teasing. "What? Do you feel guilty?"

"No. Do you?"

"Nope," replied Jiyou as both walked into their house.

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	11. Chapter 11: Sneak Peek

_Authors' Notes: _That's it for our first story! Here's a sneak peek of what we're working on now...

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"Ha! We win!" "C'mon! Not _again_! That's like the fourth time Kiba!" Choji moaned as Kiba and Shino pulled in various items that the other guys had used as bets (including one of his last bags of potato chips).

"Play again?" Naruto shook the bamboo cup with two dice inside tauntingly at the four Cho-Han players.

"Whatever, I'm running out of money so this'll probably be my last turn. This is such a bore."

"Haha Shikamaru! You don't need money! You can bet anything! Like, uh...your earrings! Ya!" Naruto pointed at his ear and then turned the cup upside down, covering the dice. "Ok! Place your bets!"

Shino threw five hundred yen into a pile, "We think Cho. Again." "Han." Shikamaru tossed two hundred yen and a few smoke bombs into the mix.

"Cool. Alright..." Naruto lifted the cup. The dice read 5 and 3. "Hmm. Let me see..."

"It's 8, duh! They win _again_! That's it! I'm out!" Choji angrily crossed his arms and moved out of the circle. Kiba grinned happily and collected the pile.

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Sasuke walked down the deserted street aimlessly, only looking up when a large, angular shadow crept across the ground. He saw the source of the rectangular shape illuminated by a street lamp. A box-like form was wandering over at a fairly fast pace. Sasuke tried to make out a face, but only a glass screen reflected the dim light. He moved to the side of the street and allowed the awkward character to pass. The "pack mule" stopped abruptly and Sasuke realized that whoever it was had dropped a bag.

"I got it." He bent down and took hold of the bag. Noticing a video tape that had fallen out, he threw it back in carelessly. "WHAT?" The person holding the large tv gave a muffled call from behind the box and swung it stupidly. Sasuke tried to dodge the tv but couldn't evade the unavoidable blow. He grunted as the sharp corner slammed into the side of his head. Rubbing his head he shoved the bag at the person angrily, growling, "Here!"

"Thanks." Sasuke recognized the dull tone and quickly matched it to Maro, the cousin of the two Hasekura sisters. "Hey! Sasuke! What's wrong with your head?" (He saw a slight bump had appeared.) The irritated ninja remained silent. Maro didn't care. He simply continued, "How far am I from Naruto's house?" and adjusted the apparently heavy tv.

"Not too far," Sasuke said through clenched teeth. "Oh good. I've been carrying this thing for...five blocks now! Wait a sec...I' ve got an idea! Why don't you come with me to Naruto's house? A lot of us guys will be there..." "No thanks." He didn't desire to see his immature teammate any more than he had to. Maro attempted to shrug, "Suit yourself, but if you don't have anything going on later you're invited. You'd _really_ like what we're doing! See ya!" He lifted the tv higher and waddled away.

Sasuke stood for a moment, wondering whether or not to follow. He thought about it for another minute and pondered if he really _would_ like what the others were up to. Deciding probably not, he continued with his walk...becoming even more bored than he was before he set out.

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"Hey guys! I'm back!" Maro grunted and carefully dropped the tv onto the floor. "Where were you Maro? You missed Cho-Han!" Naruto looked at the equipment curiously. "Sorry, but this should be worth it!" Maro tossed the bag to Naruto who opened it and went through the items Maro had brought.

"What is all _this_ for?" Naruto, Shikamaru, Kiba and Shino surrounded Maro and watched as he set up the equipment next to Naruto's own television. "I'll explain in a second...Hand me that cord. Ya, that one. Thanks..." As the others were busying themselves with helping Maro, Choji made his way over to the bag and clapped happily at the bags of chips and other snacks he had found.

Maro jumped up and brushed himself off.

"C'mon Maro! What is all this for?" "You wanna watch a movie?" he replied with a sly grin. "_What?_ Naruto had a tv already! Why'd you bring another one?" Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Do you want to watch it or not?" Maro crossed his arms.

"What movie is so great that we need _two_ tv's? Look at the titles Choji." Kiba turned and gave Maro an annoyed look. Choji rolled over and picked up the two tapes, "I dunno. They don't have any labels." "HA! See? Only _I_ know. Afterall, they're _my_ movies!" Maro laughed teasingly and grabbed the tapes from Choji. "Ugh! You know I hate not knowing! What is it already?" Naruto was growing more impatient. "Do you want to watch it now? I mean, it's at least seven hours long..."

"SEVEN HOURS?" Choji groaned and began to pile more food into his mouth, "I'm gonna starve." "That's way too long Maro..." "Hey! Its the weekend! No one has training tomorrow, right?" The five guys muttered in agreement. "Ok then! If you just sit down and shut up I'll tell you!"

"Who said we _want_ to watch this? We have no idea what the heck you're showing us," Shikamaru asked boredly. Maro just gave another sly grin, "You'll know in a second!" The room went quiet for a moment before breaking into curious side conversations.

"Shut up!" Maro yelled over them. "Is this violent?" Naruto asked hopefully. The others smiled and nodded, wondering the same thing. "Uh...no." This was followed by a chorus of groans and hisses. "Shut UPPP!" Maro screamed at the top of his lungs.

The room went quiet again and Naruto looked around at the unhappy crowd and tried again, "Does this have any 'inappropriate' material at all?" "I don't know, _I_ haven't even seen this yet." "Hm..." Naruto dropped into a nearby chair and dragged it over so he was just a few feet from the televisions. "Ha, I thought so." Maro smiled successfully as everyone else took a seat around him.

"What's on these two tapes," he whipped out the pair of identical video tapes from behind his back, " is footage that I _guarantee_ you'll never be able to see anywhere else! I just got these back today so like I said, I haven't been able to check out what's on them..."

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_A/N:_ If you're curious, the story will be up soon. We wanted to focus more on the characters and add some more...suggestive...material. (Hahahaha!)


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